Use these instructions during your own practice, or as you prep for a virtual/in-person coaching session with myself or someone else

Have you ever ask yourself any of the following questions, and not known the answer?

• Why do I always drift to the left when I slide?
• How come my release doesn’t seem to go right at the broom?
• Why can’t I generate hit weight?
• My ankle hurts while I throw, what’s going on?
• My sweeping feels effective, but what does it look like?

Or worse, you know why you are struggling, but how to fix it is driving you bananas.   If your coach or teammate has ever suggested a technique adjustment, but you don’t quite know what they’re talking about, or how to how to “fix it”, the most powerful tool you can use (& it’s free!!!) is in your pocket (likely). –> VIDEO.   It is so valuable to be able to see firsthand what is going on with our delivery. Not all of us are fortunate to have our games broadcasted for us to watch afterwards. But we do have the power to simply have our delivery video’d (keep scrolling to learn how).   Pro-tip I give to all those I work with… especially at camps…

–Always always always–

“Listen to the coach when they help out a teammate”.

  Why? 2 main reasons;

• Mid-game or during a practice if your teammate is struggling with that one thing & the advisor isn’t there to provide feedback, you can remind them quickly of what they were working on (open & honest communication & a “for-the-team-attitude” is crucial for this to work). Thus saving you time and likely a few missed shots.
• Or, if you, or someone else you know starts to struggle with something similar, you have the tool to help them. A lot of issues with delivery can be “solved” by looking back at the foundations.

We’re athletes, not machines.

A lot of solutions help a lot of issues. Think critically and create your own rolodex of technique info to draw on when needed.   How to video your delivery? Step 1: Determine what you are looking for/at: Example:

• Set-up,
• line of delivery,
• timing,
• grip/turn/release,
• to figure out why you miss the broom to the right,
• to figure out why your release isn’t consistent,
• to figure out how to optimize your delivery for career longevity,
• to send to your coach/teammate/friend,
• or just to get a snapshot of what your delivery looks like at this moment.

  Step 2: Determine if you need more than one angle, or more than one shot.

• Options include:
  • From the front (along the line of delivery),
  • from the back,
  • from the side,
  • more than one video (looking for trends),
  • more than one handle (looking for inconsistencies).

Step 3: Set-up your camera on a bench, rock, tripod, or hunt down a trusty friend to film for you.   Step 4: Watch the videos. There are some fancy aps out there that let you look at videos side by side, draw lines, watch in slow-mo etc. But, most smart phones you can grab the time bar and adjust speed and easily shift from video to video to compare, so a fancy ap isn’t a requirement.   Step 5: Consult your teammate, coach, trusted curling advisor or someone like myself who can check out your delivery, and help you analyze what you see. Sometimes a small shift in the hips is inconsequential to the whole delivery (especially if you hit the broom or get the weight and make the shots), but, that shift at the hack end could mean a big difference at the house you’re aiming at, AND you might be exposing yourself to potential future injuries. Getting help from a professional can help bring clarity to what you’re seeing, bring fresh eyes to a situation or problem, and help you create a solid plan to remediate it.   Repeat Step 1-5 throughout your practice to monitor adjustments and make sure changes are “sticking”.  

Practice doesn’t always make perfect.

So once you make that adjustment you need REPETITIONS to lock in the neural patterns so that your upgraded delivery becomes second nature.  

–Update: How to video your sweeping–

If you have more than 1 person to help you, do the following:

1. Sweep a throw:
   • Have partner throw a rock for you (most people should start with filming sweeping draws)
   • Bonus: film sweeping when you are both the inside sweeper and the outside sweeper
2. Video from multiple angles –here’s an example (see below)
   • Sweep a rock hog to hog
   • Have the partner with the camera stand about halfway down the sheet and have them film you sweeping towards them, have them back up and continue filming you from the side as you move past, and then have them move back to the middle and film you from behind
     • If you only have 1 partner, prioritize them as videographer and follow the instructions below for how to sweep a rock without another partner

If you’re practicing alone:

• You will need to use a camera stand or something to prop your phone on
  • Sweep past your phone from multiple angles:
    • Sweep towards the camera
    • Sweep away from the camera
    • Sweep across the camera
• If you are a doubles player throw your own rock, get up and sweep
• You can also simply push the rock down the ice, chase it down and sweep in front of it

  Why is it important to film when you are sweeping a rock? It’s not the end of the world to film your sweeping without a rock, however what tends to happen is:

• you don’t move at a realistic speed for a draw shot; most people go too slow when there isn’t a moving rock to sweep in front of
• you miss out on ensuring your brush strokes are:
  • the right length
  • and are in front of the running surface of the rock

What I’ve noticed is that it is:

• easier to sweep when there isn’t a moving rock -hence why I emphasize the above
• easier to sweep as the closer sweeper -this is why filming yourself as the second sweeper can be helpful to make sure you are still in front of the path of the rock; this might mean you need to adjust your positioning a bit as second sweeper

  Important note:

MID-SEASON is NOT the most ideal time to go changing your delivery. But it doesn’t mean it is the worst time.

I’m tossing this up here now, because some of you have been asking me questions like “why can’t I hit the broom”, or “why does my rock curl more than others” … and unless I see it I have no freaking clue. Use this info as you need. I personally video throughout the entire season because I find it a neat tool for me to see the adjustments I am making, to monitor any habits (good or bad), and to back-up what others see in how my rock travels following release. Seeing my delivery regularly gives me confidence in my throw. But for some, it can cause them to overthink. Find a strategy that works best for you.   Realistically, we would create our delivery pre-season, perfect it and then all we have to do in the hack is think about getting the weight and hitting the broom. Having a dialogue 3 minutes long pre- & mid-shot is not ideal. Practice, solidify your delivery & allow your mental space during games to be used by making the shot.   2 more suggestions:

• Video your entire practice or a game. Getting to see firsthand how you move over an hour or two let’s you look for bad habits and tendencies, and my personal favourite –monitor body language and communication amongst players.
• Video your sweeping technique in a similar manner. See above edit

  I truly hope this provides some value to your game and practice. Video’ing my delivery has proven to be a game changer.   If you have an issue with your delivery or sweeping technique that your current coaching staff can’t seem to help you with shoot me an email at steph@empoweredperformance.ca. One of the many services I provide to help curlers compete pain free without living in the gym is Delivery Audits through online coaching. So, when you’re ready to focus on your performance instead of worrying about if you’re going to crank your in-turn on that crucial double peel, and gain confidence in your throwing ability, click here so we can set up a FREE 10 minute call to see IF and HOW I might be able to help you crush it on the ice.   Have a fantastic day!   Coach Steph   By notified of blog posts, courses and other news by signing up for my FREE Monthly Movement & Mindset Newsletter HERE. & if you haven’t already, follow @empoweredperformance on Instagram, Facebook & @fit_nut_curl on Twitter.